Feudal Society Political Structure - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Feudal SocietyPolitical Structure

• Power based on owning land
• Charles Martel started giving soldiers fiefs (land) as rewards for service
• Soldiers got money from fiefs to buy equipment and horses for battle.
• Due to this, ownership became tied to military service.

• Stands out during Middle Ages.
• Tries to bring back Roman Ideals.
• Ruled the Franks, who were becoming a powerful group of people.

Who’s Your Daddy?

• No central government at this time.
• Kings weak; Nobles gained power.
• Nobles soon began to give land to peasants by promising to protect them for their loyalty.
• By 1000 AD, W. Europe divided into thousands of feudal territories.
• Peasants had no voice in government; Nobles controlled land AND people.

• Rigid class structure based on loyalty and service.
• Nobles consisted of lords and vassals – all reported to King.
• Fiefs given to vassals by lords.
• Lords gave vassals right to govern people living on fief and promised to protect them from attacks.

• Almost all nobles were knights.
• Training began at age 7, as a paige, under guidance of lady of the manor.
• Became squires at 15 and were trained by other knights.
• Those deemed worthy were “dubbed” knights.

• Noblewomen called Ladies.
• Most marriages arranged.
• Women responsible for the house and children.

• 2 groups of peasant workers on manor
• Freemen- skilled workers; paid rent and could leave manor when they wished. (Usually had skill needed on the manor.)
• Serfs – workers bound to land by contract with the nobles. (Had no freedom - noble’s property.)

• Angles and Saxons (from England)
• Vikings (from N. Europe)
• Magyars (from Hungary/Central Asia)
• Their attacks made the fiefs have to defend themselves.

• Built in response to the constant invasions.
• Best defense tactic for trying to invade castle, wait it out until people inside starve to death.
• In the long-run, they helped to strengthen the feudal system.

Let’s see how much you remember!

• Everyone owed loyalty to the ________
• _______ were really the most powerful. They got _______ from the king.
• Lesser nobles (knights) gave _________ _________ in return for land
• _______ were bound to the land. They worked in return for ____________.
• __________ were skilled workers. They paid rent to the ______ and were free to move if they wanted to.

• Everyone owed loyalty to the king.
• Nobles were really the most powerful. They got land from the king.
• Lesser nobles (knights) gave militaryservice in return for land.
• Serfs were bound to the land. They worked in return for protection.
• Freemen were skilled workers. They paid rent to the nobles and were free to move if they wanted to.

THE END

HISTORY

NOTES